Citing union leaders, about 100 overnight warehouse associates at the Staten Island plant refused to work for several hours Monday night, shortly after a fire broke out at a trash compactor.
“The warehouse smelled of smoke and they couldn’t breathe. A worker went to the hospital,” the same sources said.
Labor attorney for Amazon Labor Union Seth Goldstein called the Staten Island workers’ suspensions a “violation of workers’ rights to join class action over the terms of their employment.”
The US company confirmed that company bosses suspended paid workers who engaged in the work stoppage on Monday as they investigate the events that unfolded.
Amazon spokesperson Paul Flaningan noted that “while Amazon respects its workers’ right to protest, it is not appropriate for employees to occupy active workspaces, break rooms or walkways. circulation in its warehouses”.
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